LANGHORNE, Pa., Aug. 26, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Power Medical Interventions(r), Inc. (Nasdaq:PMII), a leader in developing and commercializing Intelligent Surgical Instruments(tm), announced that Drs. Nakajima and Nishida successfully performed what is believed to be the first transvaginal NOTES(tm) (Natural Orifice Translumenal Endoscopic Surgery) partial gastrectomy at Osaka University Hospital in Osaka, Japan on August 13, 2008. The surgery was approved in June by the University's Ethics Committee after its protocol evaluation by the Japan NOTES committee. Power Medical's iNOLC (Intelligent Natural Orifice Linear Cutter) enabled the procedure. The iNOLC has not been cleared for clinical use by the United States Food and Drug Administration or by Japanese regulatory authorities, but was used in this procedure pursuant to a one-time compassionate use waiver under the surgeon's license and the University's relevant committee approval.
Unlike traditional and laprascopic surgery, this operation was performed without traditional abdominal incisions. The patient's postoperative pain was minimal, enabling her to walk the day following surgery.
Traditional surgery requires a 15-cm incision in the abdomen. While advanced laparoscopic surgery techniques are less invasive than traditional surgery, they still require several 1-cm incisions in addition to a 4-cm incision to remove the diseased tissue. NOTES procedures result in less pain, lower risk of complications such as intestinal obstruction caused by abdominal adhesion, and improved cosmesis. Consequently NOTES may offer numerous merits such as shorter hospitalization period.
Assistant Professor Nakajima states that, "By developing instruments that will further enhance surgical safety and also by giving full consideration to ethical aspects, I hope that this will lead to treatment procedures that will be less discomforting to the patient."
Accordingly, this procedure utilized the patient's natural orifice to remove the tumor, thus eliminating the need for an abdominal incision. The only visible effect of the procedure was two 1-cm size incisions. The iNOLC, a computer-assisted, power-actuated 45 mm linear stapling device incorporating a flexible shaft, is designed specifically to facilitate NOTES(tm) procedures, by enabling surgeons to perform procedures through the gastrointestinal tract without cutting or puncturing the abdominal wall.
Michael Whitman, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "Our commitment to providing surgeons with innovative tools to improve surgical procedures worldwide has yet again been validated through the success of this NOTES procedure. As the NOTES procedures continue to improve as a result of newer technology including PMI's expanding line of Intelligent Surgical Instruments, we will be able to continue to support leading surgeons like Drs. Nakajima and Nishida with their ground-breaking techniques."
NOTES is a new minimally invasive surgical approach that involves passing surgical instruments through one of the body's natural orifices, such as the mouth, vagina or rectum, to remove a diseased organ or tissue. Operating solely through the body's natural orifices eliminates external incisions and scarring, and reduces recovery time, physical discomfort, and healthcare costs when compared to traditional and laparoscopic surgeries.
Power Medical's Intelligent Surgical Instruments(tm) are computer-assisted, power-actuated endomechanical instruments that surgeons use for cutting, stapling and tissue manipulation in a variety of procedures in open and minimally invasive surgery as well as in the emerging field of NOTES. The Company believes that compared to conventional endomechanical devices, its Intelligent Surgical Instruments(tm) offer greater precision and consistency, superior compressive force, improved access to anatomical sites and enhanced ease of use. PMI's Intelligent Surgical Instruments(tm) have been used in over 30,000 surgical procedures worldwide.
About Power Medical Interventions, Inc.:
Power Medical Interventions(r), Inc. is the world's only provider of computer-assisted, power-actuated surgical stapling products. PMI's Intelligent Surgical Instruments(tm) enable less invasive surgical techniques to benefit surgeons, patients, hospitals and healthcare networks. PMI manufactures durable recyclable technology to reduce medical waste and help keep the planet clean. The company was founded in 1999, and is headquartered in Langhorne, PA with additional offices in Germany, France, and Japan. To learn more about Power Medical Interventions, Inc. and its products, please visit www.pmi2.com.
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